This book presents comprehensive political, social and economic statistics on the 24 OECD countries. The book is divided into two main sections. The first section features comparative tables covering ...
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This book presents comprehensive political, social and economic statistics on the 24 OECD countries. The book is divided into two main sections. The first section features comparative tables covering all countries. It contains data on population structure, employment, economy, industry, public expenditure and taxation, government structure, and electoral data. The second section covers the most significant features of government and politics. It provides information on state structure and offices, parties, government constitutions, electoral and voting systems, and basic materials about economic interest, organisations and the media.Less

Political Data Handbook : OECD Countries

Jan-Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This book presents comprehensive political, social and economic statistics on the 24 OECD countries. The book is divided into two main sections. The first section features comparative tables covering all countries. It contains data on population structure, employment, economy, industry, public expenditure and taxation, government structure, and electoral data. The second section covers the most significant features of government and politics. It provides information on state structure and offices, parties, government constitutions, electoral and voting systems, and basic materials about economic interest, organisations and the media.

This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the purpose of this book. It then presents an overview of statistics on OECD countries. The rationale behind the authors’ decisions on ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the purpose of this book. It then presents an overview of statistics on OECD countries. The rationale behind the authors’ decisions on what variables and statistics to include is explained.Less

Introduction

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This introductory chapter begins with a brief description of the purpose of this book. It then presents an overview of statistics on OECD countries. The rationale behind the authors’ decisions on what variables and statistics to include is explained.

This book gives a twist to the longstanding debate on the impact of economic globalization on the welfare state. It focuses on several small, advanced OECD economies in order to assess whether (and ...
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This book gives a twist to the longstanding debate on the impact of economic globalization on the welfare state. It focuses on several small, advanced OECD economies in order to assess whether (and how) the welfare state will be able to compete under conditions of an increasingly integrated world economy. Small states can be seen as an ‘early warning system’ for general trends, because of their dependence on world markets and vulnerability to competitive pressures. The book's theoretical part integrates the literature on the political economy of small states with more recent research on the impact of globalization on social policy to generate a set of ideal-typical policy scenarios. It systematically tests these scenarios against the experience of four countries: Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland. The comparative analysis of reform trajectories since the 1970s in four key policy areas — pensions, labour market policy, health care, and family policy — provides substantial evidence of a new convergence in welfare state patterns. This amounts to a fundamental transformation of the welfare state from the old Keynesian welfare state positioned ‘against the market’ to a new set of supply-side policies ‘with’ and ‘for’ the market. Yet one of the big lessons to be learned from this study is that the transformation does not match the doomsday scenario predicted by neo-classical economists in the 1990s.Less

Transformations of the Welfare State : Small States, Big Lessons

Published in print: 2010-06-03

This book gives a twist to the longstanding debate on the impact of economic globalization on the welfare state. It focuses on several small, advanced OECD economies in order to assess whether (and how) the welfare state will be able to compete under conditions of an increasingly integrated world economy. Small states can be seen as an ‘early warning system’ for general trends, because of their dependence on world markets and vulnerability to competitive pressures. The book's theoretical part integrates the literature on the political economy of small states with more recent research on the impact of globalization on social policy to generate a set of ideal-typical policy scenarios. It systematically tests these scenarios against the experience of four countries: Austria, Denmark, New Zealand, and Switzerland. The comparative analysis of reform trajectories since the 1970s in four key policy areas — pensions, labour market policy, health care, and family policy — provides substantial evidence of a new convergence in welfare state patterns. This amounts to a fundamental transformation of the welfare state from the old Keynesian welfare state positioned ‘against the market’ to a new set of supply-side policies ‘with’ and ‘for’ the market. Yet one of the big lessons to be learned from this study is that the transformation does not match the doomsday scenario predicted by neo-classical economists in the 1990s.

This chapter focuses on the difference between free trade agreements with rules of origin and customs unions. The first part develops a model to assess the trade and production in intermediate and ...
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This chapter focuses on the difference between free trade agreements with rules of origin and customs unions. The first part develops a model to assess the trade and production in intermediate and final goods under these two forms of preferential trading arrangements. The second part performs a cross-sectional econometric analysis of bilateral trade in finished motor vehicles and parts in the OECD area. The findings suggest that ROO can be an effective barrier against third-party suppliers of intermediate goods, and that the ‘border effect’ on trade is mitigated within customs unions.Less

Olivier CadotAntoni EstevadeordalAkiko Suwa-EisenmannThierry Verdier

Published in print: 2006-02-23

This chapter focuses on the difference between free trade agreements with rules of origin and customs unions. The first part develops a model to assess the trade and production in intermediate and final goods under these two forms of preferential trading arrangements. The second part performs a cross-sectional econometric analysis of bilateral trade in finished motor vehicles and parts in the OECD area. The findings suggest that ROO can be an effective barrier against third-party suppliers of intermediate goods, and that the ‘border effect’ on trade is mitigated within customs unions.

This introductory chapter defines the questions and goals of the study, and provides a brief overview on the state of research regarding the performance of democracies. It seeks to answer two ...
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This introductory chapter defines the questions and goals of the study, and provides a brief overview on the state of research regarding the performance of democracies. It seeks to answer two questions: Is the effectiveness of western democracies in decline and do institutions matter for political effectiveness? The continuous decline in the effectiveness of democratic systems was a prominent theme in various crisis theories (ungovernability, legitimation crisis) since the 1970s. Since the early 1990s, it has been taken up by globalization theories. The assertion that institutions matter for political performance reaches back to the emergence of the —new institutionalism— in the early 1980s. The most relevant precursor for this study of the performance of democracies is Arend Lijphart’s Patterns of Democracy (1999). His book along with other contributions from the fields of comparative public policy and comparative sociology on the quality of life is used to clarify the contribution of this study on the institutional basis of political performance, and to elaborate to what extent it goes beyond the current state of research.Less

Introduction

Edeltraud Roller

Published in print: 2005-09-29

This introductory chapter defines the questions and goals of the study, and provides a brief overview on the state of research regarding the performance of democracies. It seeks to answer two questions: Is the effectiveness of western democracies in decline and do institutions matter for political effectiveness? The continuous decline in the effectiveness of democratic systems was a prominent theme in various crisis theories (ungovernability, legitimation crisis) since the 1970s. Since the early 1990s, it has been taken up by globalization theories. The assertion that institutions matter for political performance reaches back to the emergence of the —new institutionalism— in the early 1980s. The most relevant precursor for this study of the performance of democracies is Arend Lijphart’s Patterns of Democracy (1999). His book along with other contributions from the fields of comparative public policy and comparative sociology on the quality of life is used to clarify the contribution of this study on the institutional basis of political performance, and to elaborate to what extent it goes beyond the current state of research.

The changes in the prevalent postwar business systems of many OECD economies can be analysed by extending the analysis of the four ideal types of institutional regimes presented in Chapter 2 to ...
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The changes in the prevalent postwar business systems of many OECD economies can be analysed by extending the analysis of the four ideal types of institutional regimes presented in Chapter 2 to incorporate two further features that affect the priorities and strategies of leading firms, and to identify the nature of the dominant coalitions that support these types. This chapter discusses these features of institutional regimes and the key groups associated with them, together with their impact on prevalent growth strategies.Less

Changing Institutional Regimes and Business Systems: Endogenous and Exogenous Pressures on Postwar Systems of Economic Organization

Richard Whitley

Published in print: 2007-10-01

The changes in the prevalent postwar business systems of many OECD economies can be analysed by extending the analysis of the four ideal types of institutional regimes presented in Chapter 2 to incorporate two further features that affect the priorities and strategies of leading firms, and to identify the nature of the dominant coalitions that support these types. This chapter discusses these features of institutional regimes and the key groups associated with them, together with their impact on prevalent growth strategies.

This section presents population data on OECD countries. It features tables on mid-year estimates, population growth, population density, age structure, birth rate, life expectancy, infant mortality ...
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This section presents population data on OECD countries. It features tables on mid-year estimates, population growth, population density, age structure, birth rate, life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and urban concentration.Less

Population

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents population data on OECD countries. It features tables on mid-year estimates, population growth, population density, age structure, birth rate, life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and urban concentration.

This section presents statistics on the social structure in OECD countries. It features tables on ethno-linguistic structure, religious structure, income distribution, labour force, migration, index ...
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This section presents statistics on the social structure in OECD countries. It features tables on ethno-linguistic structure, religious structure, income distribution, labour force, migration, index of social progress, and human development index.Less

Social Structure

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents statistics on the social structure in OECD countries. It features tables on ethno-linguistic structure, religious structure, income distribution, labour force, migration, index of social progress, and human development index.

This section presents employment statistics on OECD countries. It features tables on labour force, employment by sectors, armed forces, producers of government services, government employment, ...
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This section presents employment statistics on OECD countries. It features tables on labour force, employment by sectors, armed forces, producers of government services, government employment, unemployment, and industrial disputes.Less

Employment

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents employment statistics on OECD countries. It features tables on labour force, employment by sectors, armed forces, producers of government services, government employment, unemployment, and industrial disputes.

This section presents public finance statistics for OECD countries. It features tables on taxes, social security contributions, government final consumption, current disbursements and receipts, ...
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This section presents public finance statistics for OECD countries. It features tables on taxes, social security contributions, government final consumption, current disbursements and receipts, transfers, social expenditures, educational expenditures, military expenditures, official development assistance, and deficits.Less

Public Finance

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents public finance statistics for OECD countries. It features tables on taxes, social security contributions, government final consumption, current disbursements and receipts, transfers, social expenditures, educational expenditures, military expenditures, official development assistance, and deficits.

This section presents data on government structures in OECD countries. It features tables on chamber systems, electoral systems, elections, constitutional development, human rights, elected ...
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This section presents data on government structures in OECD countries. It features tables on chamber systems, electoral systems, elections, constitutional development, human rights, elected governments, government formation and dissolution, and female representation in parliaments.Less

Government Structures

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents data on government structures in OECD countries. It features tables on chamber systems, electoral systems, elections, constitutional development, human rights, elected governments, government formation and dissolution, and female representation in parliaments.

This section presents statistics on political parties and elections in OECD countries. It features tables on national election participation, political parties, electoral strength of parties, number ...
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This section presents statistics on political parties and elections in OECD countries. It features tables on national election participation, political parties, electoral strength of parties, number of parties in parliament, and electoral volatility in national elections.Less

Political Parties and Elections

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents statistics on political parties and elections in OECD countries. It features tables on national election participation, political parties, electoral strength of parties, number of parties in parliament, and electoral volatility in national elections.

This section presents statistics on political communications in OECD countries. It features tables on domestic and foreign lettermail, telephones per hundred inhabitants, radio broadcasting, and ...
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This section presents statistics on political communications in OECD countries. It features tables on domestic and foreign lettermail, telephones per hundred inhabitants, radio broadcasting, and newspapers.Less

Political Communications

Jan‐Erik LaneDavid McKayKenneth Newton

Published in print: 1996-12-26

This section presents statistics on political communications in OECD countries. It features tables on domestic and foreign lettermail, telephones per hundred inhabitants, radio broadcasting, and newspapers.

A major conclusion of this book is that there are few consistent trends in popular support for the political community but there is high and perhaps even growing support for democratic values and ...
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A major conclusion of this book is that there are few consistent trends in popular support for the political community but there is high and perhaps even growing support for democratic values and declining support for regime institutions and political leaders. Earlier chapters have traced these patterns with respect to democracy worldwide, and, in particular, regions of the world. This one focuses specifically on the role of public policy in shaping popular support for democratic institutions among OECD countries. The data are aggregate indicators across twenty‐four of the twenty‐nine member countries of the OECD in 1997, as well as individual‐level data from the same twenty‐four countries based on the 1990–1 World Values Survey. The different sections of the chapter are: Explaining Institutional Confidence; Evidence for Trends in Institutional Confidence; The Role of Democratic Experience; Policy Outputs and Confidence: A Macro Analysis; Policy Outputs and Confidence: A Micro Analysis; and Discussion and Conclusions.Less

The Economic Performance of Governments

Ian McAllister

Published in print: 1999-03-25

A major conclusion of this book is that there are few consistent trends in popular support for the political community but there is high and perhaps even growing support for democratic values and declining support for regime institutions and political leaders. Earlier chapters have traced these patterns with respect to democracy worldwide, and, in particular, regions of the world. This one focuses specifically on the role of public policy in shaping popular support for democratic institutions among OECD countries. The data are aggregate indicators across twenty‐four of the twenty‐nine member countries of the OECD in 1997, as well as individual‐level data from the same twenty‐four countries based on the 1990–1 World Values Survey. The different sections of the chapter are: Explaining Institutional Confidence; Evidence for Trends in Institutional Confidence; The Role of Democratic Experience; Policy Outputs and Confidence: A Macro Analysis; Policy Outputs and Confidence: A Micro Analysis; and Discussion and Conclusions.

This concluding chapter considers what is gained by juxtaposing the varied analyses within a common framework intended to analyse the effects of distinctive institutional legacies on the responses to ...
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This concluding chapter considers what is gained by juxtaposing the varied analyses within a common framework intended to analyse the effects of distinctive institutional legacies on the responses to common pressures frequently associated with ‘globalization.’ The chapter begins by considering some of the shared features of industrial relations that emerged in the course of industrialization in late developing and socialist states, noting some factors that make it difficult to apply models based on the experiences of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) countries to the analysis of labour regimes elsewhere. The comparisons also reveal important differences that distinguished industrial relations in socialist countries from those in post‐colonial contexts, and the ways in which these differences may contribute to different patterns and outcomes in the transformation of industrial relations in the two contexts. The remainder of the chapter highlights similarities and differences in trends across the cases considered in the contributions to this volume, and goes on to inductively construct a theoretical scheme for tracing how varied historical inheritances in the late‐industrializing and post‐socialist economies create different sets of expectations, pressures, and challenges for economic reformers as well as for workers and organized labour. The role of unique historical factors and institutional structures is also considered, with new questions raised on the basis of specific variations that occur within or cut across the categories of post‐socialist and post‐colonial settings. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the concept of globalization is most useful when it is employed not as a universal model for projecting trajectories of institutional change but as a more restricted framework for capturing the common challenges facing labour and other economic factors in the process of economic adjustment.Less

Institutional Legacies and the Transformation of Labor: Late‐Industrializing and Post‐socialist Economies in Comparative‐Historical Perspective

Rudra SilChristopher Candland

Published in print: 2001-09-20

This concluding chapter considers what is gained by juxtaposing the varied analyses within a common framework intended to analyse the effects of distinctive institutional legacies on the responses to common pressures frequently associated with ‘globalization.’ The chapter begins by considering some of the shared features of industrial relations that emerged in the course of industrialization in late developing and socialist states, noting some factors that make it difficult to apply models based on the experiences of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (O.E.C.D.) countries to the analysis of labour regimes elsewhere. The comparisons also reveal important differences that distinguished industrial relations in socialist countries from those in post‐colonial contexts, and the ways in which these differences may contribute to different patterns and outcomes in the transformation of industrial relations in the two contexts. The remainder of the chapter highlights similarities and differences in trends across the cases considered in the contributions to this volume, and goes on to inductively construct a theoretical scheme for tracing how varied historical inheritances in the late‐industrializing and post‐socialist economies create different sets of expectations, pressures, and challenges for economic reformers as well as for workers and organized labour. The role of unique historical factors and institutional structures is also considered, with new questions raised on the basis of specific variations that occur within or cut across the categories of post‐socialist and post‐colonial settings. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the concept of globalization is most useful when it is employed not as a universal model for projecting trajectories of institutional change but as a more restricted framework for capturing the common challenges facing labour and other economic factors in the process of economic adjustment.

Presents evidence that political parties are no longer performing their function of electoral mobilization as effectively as in the past. For instance, in 18 out of the 20 countries examined, recent ...
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Presents evidence that political parties are no longer performing their function of electoral mobilization as effectively as in the past. For instance, in 18 out of the 20 countries examined, recent turnout has been lower than those of the early 1950s. Party systems that are notoriously weak have seen the most pronounced drops in electoral participation, while the presence of strong parties appears to have dampened the decline of turnout. While mass attitudes may shift gradually over time, it takes a major shock to impact a habitual behaviour like participation in elections. Recent shake‐ups in the party systems of the OECD democracies may have provided the necessary jolt to send turnout plummeting.Less

The Decline of Party Mobilization

Martin P. Wattenberg

Published in print: 2002-03-14

Presents evidence that political parties are no longer performing their function of electoral mobilization as effectively as in the past. For instance, in 18 out of the 20 countries examined, recent turnout has been lower than those of the early 1950s. Party systems that are notoriously weak have seen the most pronounced drops in electoral participation, while the presence of strong parties appears to have dampened the decline of turnout. While mass attitudes may shift gradually over time, it takes a major shock to impact a habitual behaviour like participation in elections. Recent shake‐ups in the party systems of the OECD democracies may have provided the necessary jolt to send turnout plummeting.

Examines how parties have fared as membership organizations over the past half century. The most comprehensive series of party‐reported membership and survey data for the OECD nations finds that ...
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Examines how parties have fared as membership organizations over the past half century. The most comprehensive series of party‐reported membership and survey data for the OECD nations finds that party membership rolls generally had decreased by the end of the 1990s. The chapter concludes by investigating the extent to which membership declines have diminished the organizational capacity of local parties and with a warning against overstating either the rise or obsolescence of membership‐based party organizing. It is true that membership parties are not what they once were, but it is also the case that strong membership parties were never as widespread as some accounts suggest.Less

Parties Without Members? : Party Organization in a Changing Electoral Environment

Susan E. Scarrow

Published in print: 2002-03-14

Examines how parties have fared as membership organizations over the past half century. The most comprehensive series of party‐reported membership and survey data for the OECD nations finds that party membership rolls generally had decreased by the end of the 1990s. The chapter concludes by investigating the extent to which membership declines have diminished the organizational capacity of local parties and with a warning against overstating either the rise or obsolescence of membership‐based party organizing. It is true that membership parties are not what they once were, but it is also the case that strong membership parties were never as widespread as some accounts suggest.

Chapter 6 poses the question: Is the Commission all that different compared to other international bureaucracies? This chapter unpacks the executive arms—the bureaucratic interior—of international ...
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Chapter 6 poses the question: Is the Commission all that different compared to other international bureaucracies? This chapter unpacks the executive arms—the bureaucratic interior—of international organizations, and does so comparatively. By comparing the Commission with other international bureaucracies, the often‐claimed sui generis picture of the Commission is modified. The Commission is unique by its size, formal powers, political representation at top of the hierarchy, and by its profound impacts on domestic politics and policies. However, the Commission also shares important characteristics with other international bureaucracies—both with respect to organizational structures and actual decision‐making dynamics. This chapter argues that international bureaucracies are compound systems that blend departmental, epistemic, and supranational decision‐making dynamics. Even international bureaucracies embedded in intergovernmental organizations—like the WTO and OECD—seem to transcend intergovernmentalism in everyday decision‐making processes. The decision‐making dynamics within international bureaucracies seems to occur rather independently of the larger international organization in which they are embedded. This chapter advocates that international bureaucracies seem to share important decision‐making dynamics due to organizational characteristics of the international bureaucracies themselves.Less

Is the Commission all that different? Reflections on comparative international bureaucracies

Jarle Trondal

Published in print: 2010-02-04

Chapter 6 poses the question: Is the Commission all that different compared to other international bureaucracies? This chapter unpacks the executive arms—the bureaucratic interior—of international organizations, and does so comparatively. By comparing the Commission with other international bureaucracies, the often‐claimed sui generis picture of the Commission is modified. The Commission is unique by its size, formal powers, political representation at top of the hierarchy, and by its profound impacts on domestic politics and policies. However, the Commission also shares important characteristics with other international bureaucracies—both with respect to organizational structures and actual decision‐making dynamics. This chapter argues that international bureaucracies are compound systems that blend departmental, epistemic, and supranational decision‐making dynamics. Even international bureaucracies embedded in intergovernmental organizations—like the WTO and OECD—seem to transcend intergovernmentalism in everyday decision‐making processes. The decision‐making dynamics within international bureaucracies seems to occur rather independently of the larger international organization in which they are embedded. This chapter advocates that international bureaucracies seem to share important decision‐making dynamics due to organizational characteristics of the international bureaucracies themselves.

Kerstin Martens and Anja P. Jakobi (eds)

Political Science, International Relations and Politics, Political Economy

This volume is devoted to the analysis of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) and its role in international and national policy making. On its 50th anniversary, the OECD ...
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This volume is devoted to the analysis of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) and its role in international and national policy making. On its 50th anniversary, the OECD enjoys widely acknowledged international standing. Despite this, it has so far remained a rarely researched and analyzed organization. This book is thus a pioneering work: it fills a long‐overdue gap in presenting a theoretically guided and empirically rich analysis of the OECD as a political actor. It explores its role in political processes through various case studies in a variety of policy fields. By conceptualizing the contributions to this volume around the concept of mechanisms of governance, it evaluates how and to what extent the OECD provides international incentives for national policy making. The volume collects a set of ten contributions on the OECD and its activities in core fields of its commitment as an ‘economic organization’, such as economic and labor market policy, tax issues, finance or financial crime, but also in complementary fields in which the organization is active today despite its original economic focus, such as education, biotechnology, health, family issues, and migration. The case studies presented in this volume are an interdisciplinary collection from different academic perspectives, including political science, international relations, law and organization studies. The book provides a current and wide‐ranging analysis of this organization including its constraints and opportunities in policy making.Less

Mechanisms of OECD Governance : International Incentives for National Policy-Making?

Published in print: 2010-09-09

This volume is devoted to the analysis of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) and its role in international and national policy making. On its 50th anniversary, the OECD enjoys widely acknowledged international standing. Despite this, it has so far remained a rarely researched and analyzed organization. This book is thus a pioneering work: it fills a long‐overdue gap in presenting a theoretically guided and empirically rich analysis of the OECD as a political actor. It explores its role in political processes through various case studies in a variety of policy fields. By conceptualizing the contributions to this volume around the concept of mechanisms of governance, it evaluates how and to what extent the OECD provides international incentives for national policy making. The volume collects a set of ten contributions on the OECD and its activities in core fields of its commitment as an ‘economic organization’, such as economic and labor market policy, tax issues, finance or financial crime, but also in complementary fields in which the organization is active today despite its original economic focus, such as education, biotechnology, health, family issues, and migration. The case studies presented in this volume are an interdisciplinary collection from different academic perspectives, including political science, international relations, law and organization studies. The book provides a current and wide‐ranging analysis of this organization including its constraints and opportunities in policy making.